Those Tender Spots
by Shadowfang3000
Summary: "He knew she would behave herself, the question was would he?" - After finding that Nu hasn't had a bath for quite some time, Relius stress that she should have one. However, he discovers that the poor girl doesn't even know how to bathe, and has to improvise to get her clean. (Nudity, considering bumping rating to M)


(A/N) What am I, five months late? :P

The long awaited third instalment of my Relius X Nu series finally arrives! I originally intended this to be the final part, but I have instead pushed that idea back and created an additional story to be put in place here.

This idea actually stems from an RP I did with a certain Nu fan over in Germany, where Nu insists that she knows what a bath is to an unconvinced Ragna with the belief that it will impress him xD

Now, I didn't know whether to make this a T or an M due to the nudity described in it, so just to be safe I have set the rating to M for now :O (No sechcee tiems, but still!)

Also, try reading "Love thy Neighbour" and "Shapes" before this. It should help you get used to my strange portrayal of Nu D:

WARNING: Pathetic attempts at being cutesy, lots pervy moments, spelling errors, OOC characters, nudity and a LOT suggestive bits.

**Those Tender Spots**

At first Relius didn't know what that foul stench was. It stabbed at his nostrils which flared in response, trying their best to dodge the wafting smell in the air. He actually recognised it from the years of his parenthood, the smell of grubby, filthy, muddy young children plaguing the majority of his memories.

_Carl did like playing in the garden._

While that feeling of nostalgia was amiable, it still didn't explain what the source of this stench was. He hadn't left anything out to rot before, and he certainly didn't smell _too _bad.

_Well, for a single loner of a man._

So if it wasn't an object, and it wasn't him, it could only be the smell of the girl he was currently housing: The young, shy and eternally nervous Nu.

Yet why would she smell so bad? She'd never smelt revolting in the past, in fact she rarely seemed to possess any scent save for the stabbing stench of disinfectant that seemed to infect anything and everything that resided in the Clover abode.

_It got in your clothes, it got in your skin, and it got in your mind._

The only thing he could do at this point was locate her to confirm his fears. She had the habit of wandering the halls of the expansive building on her lonesome at random intervals, hiding in strange spots to nap or daydream when she felt like it. Her locations often varied from behind doors to cosy corners.

_It always pained him to wake her up._

Slowly descending the long, creaky staircase, he was welcomed by the usual silence his home had to offer. Long ago it was a bustling location, filled with his energetic children and a great example of a loving family. Alas, fate had claimed his wife and daughter, and his dear boy had run from his grasp.

Relius dreaded the truth, but he had come to accept that his youngest had never loved him. Carl often avoided him as a child, preferring to speak to his mother and sister. It just wasn't right for a son to hate their father, and Relius had always wished to enjoy a nice day out with his successor.

_A round of sport or a wander through the wide forests of their great nation, that's all he asked._

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, he found that the smell had grown stronger. That was certainly a sign of progress, and he crouched low like a sniffer dog to track it down.

Eventually the scent led him to the kitchen, where he spotted a cupboard door left wide open and a delicate hand hanging out of it limply. Trying his hardest not to make any noise, he strolled over to the source and peered inside.

Nu lay in a comfortable snooze, her hands clutching a small packet of munchables close as if protecting them with her life. She breathed quietly and peacefully, entirely tranquil to an absurd level only she could ever achieve. She always looked so lovely and pure in her sleep, and part of Relius wanted to leave her to it. However, that filthy odour had grown to an unacceptable level, and it had become apparent that it was indeed the smell of the young girl in front of him.

"Nu, my dear?" He whispered, trying to gently nudge her awake. She pouted sadly, yet did not stir. Relius shook her arm a bit more firmly, raising his voice a notch. "Nu, it's time to wake up."

Her single eye fluttered open, her small mouth opening as wide as it could as she let off an adorable yawn. Her hand retreated to rub her cheeks as she surveyed the area, her free arm still clutching the treats close. "N-Nu's not asleep, Nu's just..."

She trailed off lazily, the urge to rest overcoming her once more. It took another shake of her shoulders to rouse her again, much to Relius's irritance.

"What are you doing down here?" He started, trying to work out the reasoning behind her peculiar location for his own piece of mind. Nu looked at the cupboard as if it was a perfectly normal place to snooze in, absently snuggling the snacks she held even closer.

_She didn't know how to open it, she just liked the feel of the packaging._

"It's comfy and warm in here, and Nu likes it lots."

With his first question answered, Relius offered her a hand to pull herself out with. She reluctantly complied like a wary rabbit, only doing so due to the bond of trust she shared with the older man.

Relius thought it was rather rude asking her the next question, but felt that he had no choice as he held her hand like a father would their daughter's. "Have you had a wash recently?"

Nu tilted her head in confusion, her grip never faltering as she pondered. "W-Wash?"

"Yes, such as a bath?" Relius continued, still feeling uncomfortable asking her such personal and impolite questions. Nu fidgeted awkwardly on the spot, her grasp tightening on him as if she was worried about something.

"... Nu... N-Nu has lots of washes!" She cheered, flashing an innocent smile at him. Alas, Relius had spent a long time with the girl now, and could easily see through her terrible attempts at lying. He gave him a look that he would usually reserve for naughty children, prompting her to tilt her head down nervously.

"Tell me the truth, dear."

Originally she wouldn't have opened up to him so easily. When they first met she was prone to running away from him and hiding under pressure, yet their time together had created a firm bond that they both saw as unbreakable. She knew that he only wanted her to flourish in life, and thus willingly followed his requests.

_They were rarely demands, just requests._

"N-Nu doesn't know what a wash is..."

Part of Relius found this revelation funny and cute, yet another part of him realised the sheer sadness of it all. He had found Nu not so long ago alone in the streets, seemingly dazed and confused with her past long forgotten. He could never know for certain what she had experienced in her life before him, but part of him knew that it couldn't have been good. For a girl to not even know of the concept of hygiene and staying clean was simply absurd, and was a blatant sign that something was seriously wrong with her past.

"Come on." Relius sighed, leading her away lazily. "I'll take you to the bathroom, you can have a wash."

"... H-How does Nu do that?"

_He'd forgotten that part._

If she didn't know _what _washing was, how on Earth could he expect her to do it without help? Struggling to think of an on the spot explanation, he tapped his chin out of habit.

"Well, first you need to..." He doubted she could operate the actual systems of a bath, so he decided that he'd get it going for her instead. Skipping that basic detail, he moved on to the next part.

_Even she could understand this part._

"You get into the bath, then you... You rub soap against your skin and wash it off with water..."

Relius's mind was briefly plagued by the image of the young girl in the nude, humming to herself joyfully as she washed herself. Soap and bubbles would surround her bare flesh as she rubbed herself clean, replacing the foul smell with the loving scent of flowers and strawberries.

"_G-Gah! Mister?" She would cry, struggling to hide her exposed body. "N-No peeking!"_

Shaking his head of such perverse thoughts, he noticed that Nu visibly tensed up at the mentioning of water. Hanging her head low, she idly tapped her bare feet together before replying shyly. "N-Nu doesn't like water..."

There was no other choice then. She needed to be washed, but she was simply too confused and too scared to do so on her own. Reluctantly settling on his last option, he tried to come to a compromise.

"If I came with you, would you feel any better?"

Nu blushed quite vibrantly at this comment, feeling that she was intruding on his own time by making him do this. She held the packet of snacks even closer, squeezing most of the remaining air down to the bottom. "N-Nu doesn't want to make Mister unhappy..."

"You won't be, trust me." He smiled. He was only doing this for her own benefit, but the voice in the back of his head was yelling at him loudly, convinced that he was simply being a creepy pervert.

_He'd been alone without a woman for almost a decade, he tended to agree with the voice in his head._

"But mister doesn't need a wash, does he?" Nu asked. If her head tilted any further, she would've likely resembled an owl, with the addition of a cute expression and a generally loveable personality. Relius was about to explain that it didn't matter, but then he said something he would probably regret in the future.

"I-I do!" He blurted out. Nu gasped happily, eager now that she knew Relius wasn't being set back by this event.

"Then mister can have a bath with Nu!" She smiled, tapping her nose like a witty detective. "Problem solved!"

_No turning back now._

To be honest he could've easily turned back there. He could've explained that he said the wrong thing, and that she didn't need to worry about wasting his time. However, under the spell of panic he kept at this vulgar plan of his.

"Right, then to the bathroom we go." He cheered, his smile a bit too toothy for comfort. Nu followed joyfully with her munchable treats in tow, knowing that she was safe from the water with someone as clever as Relius around.

Swivelling around the staircase and hopping upwards, Relius had to slow down as Nu took careful, well aimed and precise hops from step to step. It was a strange hobby of hers, but she seemed to enjoy jumping each one. Apparently she liked the feeling of the carpet against her toes every time she landed, but Relius didn't see the fun in it.

_He let her do it though, even if the noise annoyed him._

Eventually they reached the bathroom, which was surprisingly bland in comparison to the rest of the ornamental architecture. A simple bath and a uniform shower filled a small room, which was well illuminated by a cheap yet efficient light dangling from the ceiling just out of reach.

"S-So..." Nu started, suddenly apprehensive now that they'd reached their destination. "Where's the bah... B-Bath?"

It amazed Relius how she didn't even recognise the highly visible white-enamel tub that she was stood right next to. Leaning over to toss the plug into place, he turned the tap and ran his hand through the chilly water. "This is it."

Nu stepped back from it upon learning what the large bowl was, hopping behind Relius to shield her from its potential danger. Wiping his damp hand on his trousers, he patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's only water."

She looked into his eyes to try and gain his confidence, before looking back at the water hesitantly. "I-It's cold and wet, and weird..."

"But it'll be nice and warm during a bath." He chuckled, gesturing at the tap. "It should be warmer now, try touching it."

The sound that she made conveyed her unease, but she knew that Relius wouldn't do anything on purpose to hurt her. Hesitantly she reached out towards the torrent of liquid, her snacks having been placed on the sink yet her hand still interlocked with the elder man's.

As soon as she tapped the surface of the water and let the tiniest of ripples through the liquid, she reeled back in fear. Hiding her face against Relius's chest, he couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.

"Did it hurt?" He asked, feigning curiosity. She shook her head slowly before responding.

"N-No..." She mumbled, her voice muffled against his body. "It didn't chase Nu either..."

Relius grinned happily, his face conveying pride and respect for the girl's bravery. "See? It's perfectly harmless. Want to try touching it again?"

Nu always liked a new thing to feel, and Relius slipped in skilfully to play with her greatest desires. She looked conflicted as she rolled the question in her mind, still partially convinced that the water was just being a slippery menace. However, with someone like Relius nearby, she was sure that the water would behave itself.

"I-If mister does too..."

With that, Relius let his other free hand grab hold of hers by the wrist. Making sure that she was ready, he slowly dipped her hand deep into the liquid. She tried to pull back at one point, but his insistence on moving onwards convinced her to keep going.

"How does it feel?"

Nu didn't admit the truth at first, embarrassed by her misplaced fear. Letting the gentle current stroke her fingers, she whispered quietly. "N-Nice..."

"How so?" He pressed on, trying to teach her a lesson. It was a method he'd picked up from his wife years ago, when she'd tried to convince their daughter that eating vegetables wouldn't hurt you.

"It's warm... A-And it's gentle..." She continued, her voice growing a bit happier in tone. "... The water doesn't want to hurt Nu at all..."

He smiled at her realisation, somewhat relieved that he'd made it past the first hurdle of the day. With the bath filled high enough, Relius twisted the taps and stopped the flow. The tub was now filled with warm water, ready for use.

_For the two to bathe in together._

Relius wasn't exactly keen on seeing the young girl before him naked. She was shy enough as it was, but for the two to strip down to their birthday suits was beyond all logic. Yet they had no real choice in the matter, the nightgown that Nu stood in having been heavily stained during her prolonged wearing of it.

"Now what do mister and Nu do?" Nu asked, staring at her reflection in the water. She pulled a few faces and swung from left and right, trying her best to outsmart the image that mimicked her every move.

"A-Ah, well..." He began, having nowhere to hide. Swallowing hard, he took his gloves off hastily. "We... Need to remove our clothing."

Nu looked down at her garments curiously. She didn't actually wear anything save for his wife's nightgown and that bizarre patch that covered her eye, so it wouldn't take much effort for her to completely strip herself.

_She didn't even wear any panties, despite his protests._

"... D-Does Nu have to take off _all_ of her clothes?" She asked, a tad bit unsure about his reasoning. He'd often stress that she should wear more clothes, so for him to suddenly tell her to strip came across to her as a bit bizarre.

"Yeah..." Relius mumbled, putting little effort into saying it. He was sickening himself with such perverted decisions, a small region of his mind begging for a glimpse of her youthful body. Alas, his honour and breeding held firm, and he pivoted on his foot to look away. "I won't look, don't worry."

Nu seemed to giggle at his words, but he couldn't tell why. Slowly he unbuttoned his tunic, pausing every now and then to reconsider. He didn't need a bath, so why did he let her convince him to have one? Earlier he could've easily just said it to her face, but he'd taken the opportunity to bathe with her in seconds.

_He was being a sickening, deprived, vulgar person._

_An opportunist who simply wanted to put her in a comprising position and seize the winnings._

_He was better than that._

"N-Nu's done." She whispered, indicating her status. Relius didn't turn from his place, gesturing to the bath.

"Right then, can you step into the water?" He asked, still looking away. He could hear Nu wandering closer, her light footsteps sounding like the pounding march of a thousand-strong army.

"Mister?" She asked, craning her head around him and looking up in confusion. "W-Why is mister looking away?"

"N-No reason." He replied bluntly.

"But how can mister get into the bath with Nu if he's facing the wrong way?" She continued, trying to walk around to his front despite her nudity.

"I'll manage." He insisted, trying to look up without visibly signalling the girl. Her gaze shifted to his garments, puzzlement filling her voice.

"A-And shouldn't mister take his clothes off too?" She pressed on, tugging at his shirt with a delicate grip. "Nu can help if mister can't do it."

"I'm okay!" He shouted suddenly, panicking. "J-Just... Get into the bath please, I'll... I'll be right behind you."

She didn't respond verbally, but she let him be following that. Sighing, he pulled his shirt off roughly.

_Terrific._

Eventually down to nothing, he spoke up for the first time in a while. "How are you doing?"

"N-Nu couldn't..." She whispered, sounding almost tearful. "Nu got scared..."

Now knowing that the young girl was still out and about, he had to improvise once more. He was hoping that she would be in the bath and facing away, obstructing him from view and leaving only her bare back exposed to his eyes. With no other choice, he warned her of his approach.

"... Are you facing away?"

"Mmm..." She acknowledged.

Hesitantly turning around, he was greeted by the sight of the young girl's soft, spotless, pale back and bottom. She was indeed facing away from him, her body tensed together nervously as she stood trembling.

_She needed him._

Walking up to her, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder without considering her nudity. Her body was warmer than usual, her flesh soft to the touch. "... Ready?"

"I-If mister is..." She mumbled uncertainly. Her hand reached back for his, to which he complied with little hesitation. The girl was extremely light, and he had little trouble picking her up and placing her into the bath. She yelped upon contact, needing a moment to adjust to the warmth surrounding her. Knowing that she was occupied with that, Relius slowly stepped in and sat behind her, doing what he could to avoid seeing too much of the young girl's body.

The two sat in silence for a moment, the dripping tap filling the void as the waves rippled around them.

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

Eventually Nu began to hum, trying to entertain herself as she sat in place. "I-Is this how a bath works? It's easier than Nu expected."

"No." Relius mumbled, trying to muster the courage for the next step. "We need to wash ourselves now, with things like soap."

"Soap?" Nu queried, turning her head back to look at him in confusion. "Nu saw a soap once... How do they work?"

Relius tried to ignore her exposed breast as she spoke, and took a firm hold of her shoulders before twisted her back around. "I'll do all of the work, just... Behave."

"Nu will." She reassured him, smiling warmly as her hands floated weightlessly in the clear water.

_He knew she would behave herself._

_The question was would he?_

Reaching back from his place, he grabbed a firm purchase on a container filled with washing products. Fishing his hands in, he picked out a bottle of shampoo and a fresh bar of unused soap. Placing the bottle on the side of the bath, he held the bar of soap over the girl's shoulder. "Try having a play with this while I wash your hair..."

She tried to grab the soap but it popped out of her hand with frightful force. Gasping in confusion, she lunged out to try and track it down as it sought shelter from her gaze. As she was occupied by this, Relius whipped out the bottle and tore the lid off.

_The room smelt nicer already._

The shampoo was one of Ignis's favourites; a popular brand throughout the land but an effective one nonetheless. She'd always managed to have clean, flowing hair that possessed a lovely scent, so he was certain that it'd work just as well on the young girl before him. The smell brought back memories of his dearest, and he couldn't help but sigh in mourning for her loss.

"M-Mister never answered Nu's question." She mumbled, a tad bit unhappy with him as she held onto the soap tightly. Relius tutted sadly, expressing his apologies to her.

"Terribly sorry, what was your question dear?"

"How does Nu use a soap?" She asked again, sounding a bit grumpy as she said it. Relius chuckled happily, the question being rather easy to answer.

"Ah, well..." He paused again, perverse images ruling his mind. "Y-You rubbed your body with it, and then... You wash it off with water."

_Hot, wet, slippery fun._

"Okay..." Nu said, her confusion evident in her voice. "N-Nu will try."

As she started running the soap across her bare flesh, Relius squeezed a reasonable dollop of shampoo into his right hand and got ready to begin. "I'm about to start, are you okay?"

"B-Be gentle..." She said fearfully, relying entirely on his skills and experience. Taking this as a yes, he took a delicate grip on her head and slowly began to massage the substance into her silver locks.

As he ran his hands through her damp scalp, she continued to hum to herself playfully. He didn't really recognise the tune, but it sounded like some sort of old nursery rhyme used by mothers to calm frightened children. She certainly didn't sound scared at all, his presence and the song making her feel safe in this bizarre situation.

"Hey!" She suddenly yelped, twisting around to look at him "T-That hurt!"

"Sorry..." He mumbled in reply, having tugged on her hair a bit too hard as he was stroking it. Believing that there was now a sufficient amount of shampoo buried into her scalp, and noticing that she was about to reveal her bare extremities to him again, he told her to turn back and reached out for a small plastic jug.

The jug was designed for culinary use, for tasks such as storing boiling water and mixing scrambled eggs. However, Ignis has insisted on getting one purely for use in the bathroom, allowing one to wash their hair efficiently without the use of a showerhead.

_Another wise decision from his long lost, never forgotten wife._

"Put down the soap for a moment and cover your eyes." He said bluntly, trying to disregard his feelings for the time being to stop himself from losing control. Nu did as she was asked without protest, he small hands pressing against her eyes. She had actually removed her eyepatch when she undressed, but a combination of respect for her privacy and fear had stopped Relius from discovering if she actually had an eye under it or not. "I'm about to wash your hair with some water, so tell me if it's getting into your eyes. Okay?"

"Mmmm." She responded, her shoulders tensing up in preparation. Collecting some water from the bath, he tilted the jug ever so slightly over her head, allowing a small amount out at a time rather than the entire contents of the container. She trembled slightly at the feeling, but held firm bravely as he emptied all of the water on her lathered head.

Now with the majority of the excess foam out of the way, Relius began to massage her soft hair once again. Her hands still covered her eyes expectantly, having not been told otherwise by the man behind her yet.

"You can stop now if you want." He said, running his fingers through her beautiful silver locks. It'd been a while since he'd felt someone's hair against his fingertips, and hers was soft and tantalising to touch.

"H-How did Nu do?" She asked, seeking approval from him as her hands slowly descended to her lap. He chuckled warmly, knowing that she couldn't see him smiling from this angle.

"Very good, well done."

"Nu is good at washing!" She cheered, convinced that she had mastered the art. To convey this, she returned to scrubbing herself clean with the bar of soap on her lap without even asking him for advice, trying to impress him with her keen senses.

Eventually her head was clear of shampoo, the remaining bubbles easily being dispersed with a ruffle of her cleansed hair. It smelt refreshed and clean, which was a welcome deviation to the previous stench that it had possessed. Doing his best to brush it all back as to stop it from dangling in front of her eyes, he looked around her shoulder hesitantly. "How's the soap going?"

Nu looked back with a pout, the soap still clenched firmly in her hands. Despite her brave words, only a small section of her left arm had been washed at all. She sighed sadly, trying to avoid his eyes. "N-Nu was confused..."

_For Christ's sake..._

Grabbing hold of the hand bearing the bar of soap, Relius slowly pried it from her grasp and pulled it to himself. He had hoped to avoid doing this, but it seemed he had no choice in the matter. "... I-I'll wash you, just... Sit still."

The redness of both of their cheeks went to show how awkward it was, but Nu complied without question. Looking forward once more and putting her hands on her lap, Relius began the arduous process of coating her limbs in soap. He noticed her frown as he did so, the sensation of being touched by him alien to her senses.

Washing off the suds with water from the bath, he shifted between her arms and moved to her legs. He was a bit more reluctant to wash these limbs, but she didn't seem to see much of a problem. As he ran his hands down her thighs, she giggled uncontrollably from the ticklish feeling.

_She had no idea how wrong this was._

"Teehee! S-Stop it, Nu's ticklish!" She cried between laughs, tears rolling down her eyes. To try and reduce it he slowed down, having been rushing the process to try and get it over with.

With her legs done only one place remained to be washed.

_Her torso._

"Say..." Relius mumbled, his hands resting on her wet shoulders. "... Do you know how to wash now?"

Nu tilted her head in the manner she always did when she was thinking, an uncertain sound emerging from her lips. "Nu... Kinda does..."

"T-Then can you do the rest?" He said quickly, already offering her the soap to finish off with. Before he could push the responsibility on to her, she called out frightfully.

"Wait!" She gasped, turning around to stop him.

"... What?" He muttered, trying to ignore the sight of her exposed front. Nu closed her eyes fearfully, embarrassed to admit her feelings as per usual. Still, with Relius on the verge of leaving her she knew she had to go on the offensive.

"Nu... N-Nu likes it when mister touches her..."

Awkwardly she pressed the soap back into his hands and took a delicate grip on his wrists. "I-If mister is scared, Nu can help..."

Relius was about to object to her offer, stressing the perverse nature of their situation as well as the absurdity of him washing her front. But a combination of fatigue from his actions and the wish to keep the frightened girl company sat in, and for once he instead complied without question.

Letting her guide his hands forward, he slowly massaged the bar of soap onto her flat stomach. She moved his hand in circular motion, showing that she had indeed picked up some lessons from his work on her arms and legs. Eventually she started to move him up, reaching closer and closer until finally he was rubbing her breasts.

She yelped from the unexpected feeling of contact, but continued to guide him in rough circles. She moaned softly at his gentle touch, pulling his hand to her second breast to continue his work. He could feel her hastened heartbeat easily, her body reacting strangely to his warm touch.

With the soaping finally over, Nu let her damp fingers interlock with his. Sharing the wetness of the bath between them, she led him across her torso to rid herself of the stubborn suds that clung onto her. She giggled briefly as he tickled her stomach, yet quickly fell to deep breaths as he stroked her breasts once more.

He couldn't help but notice that she continued to guide his hands even when the soap had been washed away, seemingly enjoying his fondling of her mammaries. They were soft to the touch, although they felt entirely different to his wife's so many years ago. Wishing to end this act, Relius whispered into her ear comfortingly.

"It's done."

She flinched at the noise, but didn't move away. She actually seemed to lean towards him, adoring the warmth that she felt against her ear. "Nuh... N-Nu is all washed up now?"

"Indeed." He smiled, pointing at the plug. "Now just pull that and the water should drain."

Nu did as she was asked and let the bathwater form into a twister as it was slowly drained out. Relius stood up and pulled her out, making sure to wrap a towel around himself as he moved.

Setting her down on bouncy feet, he whipped out another towel and got to work on drying her off. She tensed up and yelped uncontrollably as he roughly rubbed her body, stealthily hiding her exposed breasts with yet _another _towel. It wasn't exactly large enough for the job, but it was sufficient enough to shield her most vulgar body parts from his eyes.

Messily drying her hair, her muffled voice spoke out loudly. "D-Did Nu do good?"

Removing the towel from her head and grabbing a brush, he chuckled fatherly before planting a small, gentle and warm kiss on her soft forehead. "Very good, Nu."

Her smile said it all.

_As did his._

X

(A/N): 5000+ WORDS

THAT IS THE LONGEST ONESHOT I'VE WRITTEN YET O_O

It kind of degenerated into perverted nonsense by the end of it, but I'm glad that I got this idea out of my system. Could've been better, but I have no right to complain eh?

I'd love to hear reviews! Well, _read _reviews technically but... Y-Yeah...


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